Smart phone control and notification for an electric vehicle charging station

ABSTRACT

A system and method for remote control of and notification by an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). The system including a remote device, such as a smart phone, having a software configured to remotely control the EVSE and remotely retrieve and receive information from the EVSE. The smart phone may identify and connect to a communication network, automatically identify the EVSE, connect to the EVSE, and send the EVSE instructions for various functions of the EVSE, including charging, vehicle control, and reporting functions. The EVSE may execute the instructions received and return a confirmation to the remote device. The remote device may present the confirmation to a user.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication entitled, SMART PHONE CONTROL AND NOTIFICATION FOR ANELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION, filed Jun. 3, 2011, having a Ser. No.13/152,813, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by referencein its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a remote control. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to a remote control thatcontrols a charging station, such as an electric vehicle chargingstation, and remote notification to the remote device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vehicles powered either fully or partially by batteries must at somepoint recharge their batteries. Particularly in the case of batteryelectric vehicles, the lack of an alternative power source, like onethat a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle would have, causes the batteriesto deplete faster and have a more limited range. Plug-in electrichybrids are generally less taxing on the batteries and built-inregenerative systems may suffice to recharge the batteries enough to golonger without having to plug-in the vehicle to recharge it. However,the driver will dictate the need for recharging an electric vehiclethrough the extent of use, driving conditions, and driving style. Highmileage, stop-and-go traffic, and quick accelerations are all thingsthat the driver may subject an electric vehicle to, and all will depletethe batteries faster than under ideal conditions.

Vehicles are commonly parked/stored in areas separate from where avehicle owner/operator generally spends the majority of his time. Agarage, be it an attached or detached home garage, or a shared buildinggarage, are places where the vehicle operator may park and leave hisvehicle, and not return to the garage until it is time to operate thevehicle again. Carports, parking lots, street parking spots, driveways,racks, docks, hangars, and others are all examples of where one mayleave his vehicle while it is not in use, and otherwise spend little tono time at that location for reasons not relating to the use of thevehicle. Since places where the vehicle may be stored are not usuallyconsidered living or working spaces, they are often not as easilyaccessible as other places where one may conduct his daily activities.

Unlike traditional fossil fuel vehicles, and non-traditional alternativefuel vehicles, which can be adequately fueled, generally by filling afuel tank with a liquid fuel, in a matter of seconds or a few minuteswhile the vehicle operator fills the fuel tank, an electric vehicle'scharge time is generally measured in hours. Also unlike other forms ofrefueling, electric vehicles are often recharged while parked or storedin their designated areas, like the areas described above. Thus, becauserecharging an electric vehicle is a relatively lengthy process that isoften carried out in places where the vehicle operator doesn't spendtime, it would be useful for the vehicle operator to be able to monitorand control the vehicle charging remotely.

It is desirable to provide a convenient way of controlling andmonitoring the recharging of electric vehicles from remote devices, suchas smart phones, that can be used in locations away from where theelectric vehicles are parked/stored. This will allow vehicle operatorsto better prepare for and plan electric vehicle usage without requiringthat they go to the area where the vehicle and/or electric vehiclesupply equipment is located to effect and to get information relating tothe recharging. This will also make the electric vehicle more practical,acceptable and provide a convenience to overcome potential obstacles ofownership and use for the vehicle consumer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the presentinvention, wherein in one aspect, a method and apparatus are providedsuch that a smart phone may control and receive notifications from anelectric vehicle supply equipment.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an apparatusfor remotely communicating with an electric vehicle supply equipment(EVSE) for charging electric vehicles via a communication network isprovided, which can comprise a processor configured to executeinstruction modules, a memory configured to store the instructionmodules, a communication interface configured to transmit a command tothe EVSE and receive a confirmation from the EVSE over the communicationnetwork, an input device configured to receive an input or a selection,and a display configured to display the selection or the confirmation,wherein the instruction modules can include a communication protocolselection module configured to identify a communication protocol for thecommunication network, an EVSE connection module configured to connectthe communication interface to the EVSE over the communication network,an instruction transmit module configured to send the command from thecommunication interface to the EVSE over the communication network, anda confirmation receipt module configured to receive communications tothe communication interface from the EVSE over the communicationnetwork.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a methodfor remotely communicating with an electric vehicle supply equipment(EVSE) for charging electric vehicles via a communication network isprovided, which can comprise selecting a communication protocol for thecommunication network that is connected with the EVSE, via a processor,connecting to the EVSE connected to the communication network, via acommunication interface, receiving a signal representing a selection ofan option, via an input device, transmitting a command to the EVSE overthe communication network, via the communication interface, andreceiving a communication from the EVSE acknowledging the command, viathe communication interface.

In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention, asystem for remotely communicating with an electric vehicle supplyequipment (EVSE) for charging electric vehicles via a communicationnetwork is provided, which can comprise a means for processinginstruction modules, a means for storing the instruction modules, ameans for communicating over the communication network, a means forreceiving input or a selection, and a means for displaying the selectionor a confirmation, wherein the instructions modules can include acommunication protocol selection module configured to identify acommunication protocol for the communication network, an EVSE connectionmodule configured to connect the means for communicating to the EVSEover the communication network, an instruction transmit moduleconfigured to send a command from the communication interface to theEVSE over the communication network, and a confirmation receipt moduleconfigured to receive communications to the means for communicating fromthe EVSE over the communication network.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of theinvention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may bebetter understood, and in order that the present contribution to the artmay be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodimentsof the invention that will be described below and which will form thesubject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of construction and to thearrangements of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments inaddition to those described and of being practiced and carried out invarious ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology andterminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for thepurpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conceptionupon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basisfor the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carryingout the several purposes of the present invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram view of an apparatus for connecting anelectric vehicle to Level I or Level II power source according to anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2A is a schematic view of an apparatus for connecting an electricvehicle to a high voltage power source according to another embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 2B is a schematic view of an apparatus for connecting an electricvehicle to a Level I or Level II power source according to anotherembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of an apparatus for connecting an electricvehicle to a Level I or Level II power source according to anotherembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates adapters for connecting an apparatus that connects toa Level I or Level II power source according to another embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates schematic view of an apparatus for sequentialcharging of multiple electric vehicles according to another embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a method for sequential charging of multiple electricvehicles according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a system for communication between aelectric vehicle supply equipment and a remote device according toanother embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram view of a remote device for communicating withan electric vehicle supply equipment according to an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 9 illustrates a method for communication between an electricvehicle supply equipment and a remote device according to anotherembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates a method for handling alerts from an electricvehicle supply equipment to a remote device according to anotherembodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An embodiment of the present inventive system for connecting an electricvehicle, such as a battery electric vehicle (BEV) or a plug-in hybridelectric vehicle (PHEV), to a Level I or II power source (Level II powermay also be referred to as high voltage) may include an apparatus, suchas an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) for connecting theelectric vehicle to a power source. The EVSE may be employed to make acircuit connection to allow power from an electrical socket, like a wallsocket, to flow to a charging circuit within the electric vehicle. Thewall socket may be a standard outlet found in a residential garage or asocket at a powering station in or outside the residential garage. Thepower station may be positioned, for example, at a parking garage, at apublic parking space, at a rest stop, a conventional gas station, or apowering station (similar to a gas station, but has power stationsinstead of gas pumps). Further, the EVSE may be constructed to at leastmeet industry standards, such as SAE J1772, UL 2594, and NEC Article625. The SAE J2836 vehicle communication standard may also be consideredin constructing the EVSE.

The EVSE may have a socket connector at a first end to couple the EVSEto the electrical socket, such as a wall socket, and a vehicle connectorat a second end to couple the EVSE to the electric vehicle. Oncecoupled, to both the wall socket and the vehicle, the EVSE may allowpassage of electrical current from the wall socket to the electricvehicle, thus recharging the electric vehicle's batteries. Thisembodiment allows for the use of standard electrical outlets instead ofhardwiring the EVSE directly to a power source.

Level I and Level II sockets are different in configurations. The EVSEmay be constructed and/or provided with adapters to make the EVSEcompatible with both a Level I and II socket. This may be accomplishedthrough a combination of internal hardware and/or electrical components,external wiring components, and plug components and/or adapters.

In addition, the EVSE may analyze signals and/or data received from theelectric vehicle. Analyzing the signals and/or data may involve checkingthe electric vehicle for specific conditions. While analyzing, the EVSEmay determine when to allow and when to prohibit the flow of currentbetween the socket and the electric vehicle.

A user of an EVSE may require that the EVSE be able to charge more thanone vehicle. In one embodiment the EVSE may be configured to charge thevehicles simultaneously. Other embodiments may include an EVSE which maycharge vehicles sequentially in a number of different manners.

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawingfigures, in which like reference numerals refer to like partsthroughout.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram view of an apparatus for connecting anelectric vehicle to Level I or Level II power source according to anembodiment of the invention. An EVSE 30 is one such apparatus and mayinclude an input device 32, a memory 34, a communication device 36, aprocessor 38, and a display 40, some or all of which can beinterconnected by a data link 48. The EVSE 30 can be a general computingdevice, such as a personal computer (PC), a UNIX workstation, a server,a mainframe computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellularphone, a smart phone, some combination of these or any other suitablecomputing device. Alternatively, the EVSE 30 can be a specializedcomputing device made up of components specifically chosen to executethe functionality of the EVSE 30. The remaining components can includeprogramming code, such as source code, object code or executable code,stored on a computer-readable medium that can be loaded into the memory34 and processed by the processor 38 in order to perform the desiredfunctions of the EVSE 30.

The processor 38 may be executed in different ways for differentembodiments of the EVSE 30. One embodiment is that the processor 38 is adevice that can read and process data such as a program instructionstored in the memory 34 or received from a source on the electricvehicle. Such a processor 38 may be embodied by a microcontroller. Onthe other hand, the processor 38 may be a collection of electricalcircuitry components built to interpret certain electrical signals andperform certain tasks in response to those signals, or an integratedcircuit.

The memory 34 may include, for example, any form or combination ofvolatile, non-volatile, solid state, magnetic, optical, permanent,removable, writable, rewriteable, and read-only memory. The memory 34may contain a number of program instructions for use with the EVSE 30.The instructions may include methods, for example, for controlling theflow of current between the electrical socket and the electric vehicle.These methods may include controlling when to allow or prohibit the flowof current, or perhaps moderate the flow of current. The flow of currentcan be controlled based on various factors such as when off peak ratesof an electrical utility are in progress; the usage of power, forexample, within a house, a building, a power grid, or a parkingstructure; the availability of current or if the current is constant;scheduled power outages; availability of raw materials that are used ingenerating electricity; the availability of alternative means ofgenerating electricity; the weather at the local charging station oroutlet, which can effect means of generating electricity, such as windturbines, and solar panels and the like.

Further, the memory may contain software having instructions related todiagnosing vehicle functions, such as OBD-II, battery testing, tirepressure sensor testing, emissions testing and the like. Further, thesoftware may include the ability to track the status of variousbatteries in the vehicles, such as which batteries have been replaced,the remaining battery life of the various batteries, the warrantyinformation about the batteries, the type of batteries used in thevehicle (mix and match) and the like. Many other embodiments may providefor further methods, some of which will be discussed herein.

Additionally, an embodiment of the EVSE 30 can communicate informationto a user through the display 40 and request user input through theinput device 32 by way of an interactive, menu-driven, visualdisplay-based user interface, or graphical user interface (GUI). Theuser may interactively input information using direct manipulation ofthe GUI. Direct manipulation can include the use of a pointing device,such as a mouse or a stylus, to select from a variety of selectablefields, including selectable menus, drop-down menus, tabs, buttons,bullets, checkboxes, text boxes, and the like. Nevertheless, variousembodiments of the invention may incorporate any number of additionalfunctional user interface schemes in place of this interface scheme,with or without the use of a mouse or buttons or keys, including forexample, a trackball, a scroll wheel, a touch screen or avoice-activated system.

Some options that may be selected through the input device 32 may allowthe user control over the charging of the electric vehicle. The user mayselect, for example, that the batteries be charged to or at a certainlevel or for a certain amount of time, a certain number of charges orstart and stop at a certain time or at a particular event. Further, theuser may select to be notified on a separate device, like on a cellulardevice, smart phone, pager, fax, remote control/display, or other wiredand wireless devices, that the electric vehicle or charging is in acertain state, such as complete or faulted. The user may be able to setthe EVSE 30 to control and power some of the vehicle's components whileplugged in. For example, during different seasons the user may desire toheat or cool the vehicle as he gets ready for work in the morning sothat the vehicle is comfortable when he gets in it. The EVSE 30 may alsocontrol setting the radio, power seats and mirrors depending on userpreferences. Through the use of the EVSE 30, other devices like a GPS,radar detector, and other devices that require boot or warm up periodsmay be powered on before the user enters the electric vehicle.

The display 40 may have a more simple implementation than previouslymentioned, consisting of one or multiple indicators. Such indicators mayconsist of a small liquid crystal display (LCD) that can depict text orgraphics. The LCD may be monochrome or colored. Other embodiments mayinclude a single or multiple light emitting diodes (LED). Thisimplementation could work for transmitting a limited number of simplemessages. An LED may emit a single color of light, or it may be able toemit a number of different colors. Each LED or color may be associatedwith a different message. Some messages may include that power isavailable to charge the electric vehicle batteries, that charging theelectric vehicle batteries is in progress, that the charging iscomplete, and that there is a fault or problem. The display may also beused to indicate the level of charge for the batteries, the number oftimes the batteries have been charged and the remaining charging time orthe time the batteries have been charging.

The display 40 may also be separate from the EVSE 30 or a second remotedisplay can be utilized. The second remote display (not shown) can be aremote control panel that receives the same or similar information asthe display 40. The second remote display can also control the EVSE 30in the same or similar manner as the display 40 or the input device 32.

FIG. 2A is a schematic view of an apparatus for connecting an electricvehicle to a high voltage power source according to another embodimentof the invention. FIG. 2B is a schematic view of an apparatus forconnecting an electric vehicle to a Level I or Level II power sourceaccording to still another embodiment of the invention. The EVSE 30 mayfurther include a relay 42 (referred to in FIGS. 2A and B as acontactor), a voltage regulating device 44 (referred to in FIGS. 2A andB as a power brick), a breaking device 46 (referred to in FIGS. 2A and Bas a GFI), and a switch 58 (not shown in FIG. 2A), some or all of whichmay be connected by an electric conduit 50. A control circuit 56 may actas a buffer between different parts of the EVSE 30. At one end of theEVSE 30 is a socket connector 52 (FIG. 3) and at the other end is avehicle connector 54 (also shown in FIG. 3 and explained herein).

The voltage regulating device 44 may be needed to power the electroniccomponents of the EVSE 30. Since the EVSE 30 may draw its power from thesame electrical socket it uses to charge the batteries of the electricvehicle, the EVSE 30 will be receiving high voltage electricity. Theelectrical socket may supply, for example 120 volts, 220 volts or 240volts. The high voltage of the power drawn from the electrical socketcould damage some of the electronic components of the EVSE 30. Thus, thevoltage regulator device 44, such as a transformer or a voltageregulator, may be employed between to the electrical socket and theelectrical components of the EVSE 30. The voltage may then be lowered toa level that is manageable to the electrical components, such as, forexample, 5 volts or 12 volts. In other embodiments, the voltageregulator device 44 can increase the voltage as needed by the EVSE 30.

While the voltage regulating device 44 may regulate the voltage to partsof the EVSE 30, there are parts where electricity may flow unalteredfrom the electrical socket to the electric vehicle. An electric conduit50 may run the length of the EVSE 30.

In one embodiment of the invention, the electric conduit 50 may be ofthe type having a gauge and/or rating such that it may appropriatelyhandle the range of supplied current from the electrical socket. Thatbeing, the electric conduit 50 should be able to handle at least thehighest supplied current, and in turn it will also be able to handlelower levels of current. The electric conduit 50 may be one appropriatefor handling Level I and Level II charging or any level of charging. Theelectric conduit 50 suited for Level II charging may be comprised of acombination of conduits including, for example, two conduits for powersupply (L1 and L2), one conduit as a neutral, and one conduit as aground. The supplied current may be split over L1 and L2, thus aiding insupplying the proper current for Level I and Level II charging.

In connecting the electric conduit to the internal components of theEVSE 30, it may be convenient to connect some or all of the combinationof conduits that make up the electric conduit 50 to the differentinternal components. For example, the voltage regulating device 44, asdiscussed herein, receives power from the supplied power from theelectrical socket the EVSE 30 connects to. To receive this power, thevoltage regulating device 44 may be connected to, at least, L1 and/orL2.

In one embodiment, the electric conduit 50 includes a relay 42 that maybe placed to bridge segments of the electric conduit 50, allowing theEVSE 30 to start and stop the flow of current to the electric vehicle.The electric conduit 50 may optionally be connected to a voltageregulator to step up or step down the voltage passed to the electricvehicle. Further, to aid in providing the proper current to charge theelectric vehicle, it is possible to provide the relay 42 with some orall of the current provided by the electrical socket. Power supplyconduits L1 and L2 may both be connected to the relay 42. Alternatively,the relay 42 may be connected to only either conduit L1 or L2.

In an alternative embodiment, it may be that when only connected toconduit L1 or L2, the relay 42 may only enable the EVSE 30 to be able toprovide the vehicle with Level I charging capabilities. Thus, to enablethe EVSE 30 to provide Level II charging capabilities, as well as LevelI charging, it maybe a possible to provide a switch 58 that will allowthe EVSE 30 to selectively connect the unconnected conduit, either L1 orL2, to the relay 42. In one embodiment, the switch 58 may be connectedto, at least, the conduit, either L1 or L2, not already connected to therelay 42. Further, the switch 58 may be connected to the control circuit56 that controls when the switch allows for the selective connection ofthe unconnected conduit, either L1 or L2, to the relay 42. The controlfunction will be discussed herein.

Also connected to the electric conduit 50 may be a breaking device 46(also called a ground device, GFI, or a current monitor). The breakingdevice 46 is intended to cut power along the electric conduit 50 quicklyso as to avoid harming a user with a high voltage electric shock,harming the components of the EVSE 30 or damaging the electric vehicle.Such a breaking device 46 may be a ground fault interrupter. If thebreaking device 46 trips and cuts power, EVSE 30 may have an auto-resetfunction to attempt to restore the power transfer to the electricvehicle. The auto-reset function may attempt to restore the powertransfer after a determined time and/or for a determined number oftries. The auto-reset functions allows for continuous charging of thevehicle should a power surge occurs while the user is asleep or awayfrom the charging location.

The control circuit 56 may be connected to the electric conduit 50 andto the data link 48. Acting as a buffer between two portions of the EVSE30, the control circuit may pass signals from the electric conduit 50representing the voltage on the electric conduit 50 to the processor 38.From these signals, the processor 38 may react accordingly to controlthe relay 42 and the breaking device 46. Further, the processor 38, andother components, such as a voltage monitor, an oscillator, and a pulsewidth modulator may act accordingly to conduct a number of functions ofthe EVSE 30. The control circuit 56 may also be connected to the voltagecontrol device 44 for power, and a control pilot pin of a vehicleconnector (discussed herein) to pass on signals from the vehicle to theother components of the EVSE 30.

In the switch's 58 initial state, it will be open, thereby causing adisconnect between the unconnected conduit, either L1 or L2, and therelay 42. When the EVSE 30 is connected to a Level I electrical socket,the control circuit 56 would recognize that there exists a 120 volt dropbetween the powered conduit, either L1 or L2, and the neutral conduit ofthe electric conduit 50 and leave the circuit between the unconnectedconduit, either L1 or L2, and the relay 42 open. Alternatively, when theEVSE 30 is plugged into a Level II electrical socket, then the controlcircuit 56 would recognize the power on the unconnected conduit and,either via a signal from the processor 38 or via logical circuitry,provide a signal to the switch 58 to close the circuit between theunconnected conduit and the relay 42. With the circuit closed, the relay42 is connected to both power supply conduits, L1 and L2, of theelectric conduit 50, and the EVSE 30 can provide the electric vehiclewith Level II charging capabilities.

The EVSE 30 also includes peripheral connection 51 that can addadditional functionality to it, including USB, Fire-Wire, card reader,vehicle connector interface (for OBD-II, and the like connections), CD,DVD, memory, wireless communication, and additional hardware andsoftware. The EVSE's software can be updated via the peripheralconnection 51. Additional hardware can be added to include, for example,additional processor, memory, FPGA (field programmable gate array),ASIC, pin connections, multiplexor and the other hardware to expand thefunctionality of the EVSE 30.

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of an apparatus for connecting an electricvehicle to a Level I or Level II power source according to anotherembodiment of the invention. Attached to a respective end of theelectric conduit 50 may be the socket connector 52 and the vehicleconnector 54. The socket connector 52 may couple with the electricalsocket to allow electricity to flow to the EVSE 30. Any of a number ofavailable or proprietary connectors may be used for the socket connector52. Such available connectors may include a NEMA 5 plug, for example, aNEMA 5-15 plug for Level I charging, or a NEMA 14 plug, for example, aNEMA 14-50P plug for Level II charging, if appropriate for theelectrical socket. These socket connectors 52 may be interchangeable.Alternatively, the socket connector may be of an appropriate type forLevel I or Level II charging, and an adapter 60 may be used to adapt thesocket connector 52 to work for the other type of charging, as discussedherein. Connected to the opposite end of the electric conduit 50 may bethe vehicle connector 54, which also may be any number of available orproprietary connectors. One such example of a vehicle connector 54 maybe a five-pin connector including two power pins, a ground pin, acontrol pilot pin, and a proximity sensor pin as specified in the SAEstandard J1772 and designed by Yazaki of North America.

The EVSE 30 may include a housing 62. The housing 62 may encase a numberof the components of the EVSE 30, for example, all the componentspreviously mentioned except for portions of the electric conduit 50, thesocket connector 52 and the vehicle connector 54. A bracket may beattached to the housing 62 to mount the housing 62 on a vertical surfacesuch as a wall or post. The housing 62 or bracket may further include ahook to hang the power conduit 50. Alternatively, the power conduit maybe retractable into the housing 62.

The EVSE 30 may be available for both indoor and outdoor applications.Proper weather proofing may be part of the housing to protect thecomponents from damage and the users from injury. Some outdoorinstallations of the EVSE 30 may include burial in the ground, beingattached to a post, or integrated into a pedestal.

FIG. 4 illustrates adapters 60A and 60B for connecting an apparatus thatconnects to a Level I or Level II power source according to anotherembodiment of the invention. If the socket connector 52 is, for example,a NEMA type 5 plug suitable for Level I charging is at the end of theelectric conduit 50, and it is desired to plug the EVSE 30 into a LevelII socket, then the adapter 60A is configured to accept the prongs ofthe socket connector 52 (with NEMA type 5 plug) and has prongsconfigured to be inserted into a Level II socket. Alternatively, if thesocket connector 52 is, for example, a NEMA type 14 plug suitable forLevel II charging is at the end of the electric conduit 50, and it isdesired to plug the EVSE 30 into a Level I socket, then the adapter 60Bis configured to accept the prongs of the socket connector 52 (with NEMAtype 14 plug) and has prongs configured to be inserted into a Level Isocket. An example of an adapter 60B that would allow for connecting thesocket connector 52 configured to connect to a Level II socket toconnect to a Level I socket is the Marinco 50 A to 15 A RV PigtailAdapter 150SPPRV.

Referring back to FIG. 1, in various embodiments, the EVSE 30 can becoupled to a communication network. The communication network allows forcommunication between the EVSE 30 and a remote device, such as a smartphone. The EVSE 30 can be coupled to the communication network by way ofthe communication device 36 which in various embodiments can incorporateany combination of devices—as well as any associated software orfirmware—configured to couple processor-based systems. Suchcommunication devices 36 may include modems, network interface cards,serial buses, parallel buses, LAN or WAN interfaces, wired, wireless oroptical interfaces, and the like, along with any associated transmissionprotocols, as may be desired or required by the design.

The communication network links the communication device 36 of the EVSE30 with the smart phone (as discussed herein). Various embodiments ofthe communication network may include any viable combination of devicesand systems capable of linking computer-based systems that may usevarious communication protocols, such as USB; Bluetooth; WiFi; ZigBee;power line communication (PLC); home area network (HAN); Silver Springnetwork; stable election protocol (SEP); the Internet; TCP/IP; anintranet or extranet; a local area network (LAN); a wide area network(WAN); a direct cable connection; a private network; a public network;an Ethernet-based system; a token ring; a value-added network; atelephony-based system, including, for example, T1 or E1 devices; acellular telephony system, for example, GPRS or GSM; a satellite system;an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network; a wired system; a wirelesssystem; an optical system; a combination of any number of distributedprocessing networks or systems or the like.

The remote device may be a common remote device, such as a electroniccontrol unit of a vehicle, an example of which often used in vehiclesfor receiving diagnostic signals such an OBD-II signals. The remotedevice may also be a proprietary remote device, such as one developedfor use with a specific brand of engine or specific model of engine.Further embodiments may encompass the remote device being a datareceiver for a tire pressure management system. In either of thesecases, the communication device 36 may be able to connect with a dealer,manufacturer, service department, government entity such as a stateinspection office, etc. and report the findings transmitted from theremote device.

Moreover, the remote device may be a wireless device with a display thatgives the user information about the status of the electric vehicleconnected to the EVSE 30. The remote device may be such that it iseasily placed within a room in a building, or even attached to a keylike a key chain. The information delivered to the user may includecharge status of the vehicle, diagnostic messages, tire pressuremanagement system messages, and other vehicle related information.

The EVSE 30 may also act as a remote control allowing the user tocontrol function of the car, like power, air conditioning and heat,radio settings, power seat and mirror settings, etc. The EVSE 30 mayalso have internet access or similar communication access to remoteserver in order to obtain information such as emails, weather report,web pages, stock information, diagnostic databases and the otherinformation.

The communication device 36 may also be able to communicate with thelocal utility company. This may allow for the utility company to knowthat the vehicle is connected and to charge the vehicle at a certaintime of the day, such as during off-peak hours, if requested by theuser. One embodiment to implement this feature is through the remotedevice, where the remote device encompasses a smart meter or acomputerized utility meter. The EVSE 30 may communicate with the smartmeter to determine when the EVSE 30 should charge the vehicle dependingon certain parameters. If it is a goal to reduce energy costs, the smartmeter may determine at what time of the day the rate for electricity islowest, and during that time, tell the EVSE 30 to charge the vehicle.The EVSE 30 may also communicate with the smart meter to indicate whenthe vehicle is charging and how much charging is required. With thisinformation, the smart meter may be able to manage the power consumptionof the rest of a house to keep overall power consumption at or herein adesired level.

A further embodiment of the EVSE 30 may be to include a battery chargingmonitor. This feature could add a further layer of safety to the EVSE 30by preventing overheating of the charging battery by, for example,decreasing the amount of electricity to the vehicle or simply terminatethe electrical supply to the vehicle. The EVSE 30 may be able to connectto the vehicle's own battery temperature sensor, such as a thermistor ora laser temperature sensor. Signals from the temperature sensors may beinterpreted by the EVSE 30. If the signals indicate that the temperatureof the battery is rising to an undesired temperature, the EVSE 30 maydiscontinue charging the battery, and in some instances issue anotification of the problem to the user. The notification may be sent toa smart phone.

Other embodiments of the EVSE 30 may allow for the power conduit 50 tohave multiple vehicle connectors 54 stemming therefrom, or multiplepower conduits 50, each with its own vehicle connector 54 or acombination thereof. The EVSE 30 may charge the vehicles simultaneouslyor switch from one vehicle to another after the first vehicle hascompleted recharging. There may also be an adapter that allows thesocket connector to connect to low voltage sockets, such as ones thatprovide 120 volts or less, as discussed herein. In other embodiments,the EVSE 30 can connect to alternative power sources that use renewableenergy to charge the vehicle. Such sources may include solar panels andwind turbines, for example. If the alternative power sources alone areinsufficient, then they may be supplemented by an electrical socketconnected to a utility company source.

In an embodiment where the EVSE 30 is configured to charge more than onevehicle simultaneously, as mentioned herein, the EVSE 30 may havemultiple power conduits 50, each with its own vehicle connector 54. AnEVSE 30 connected to a power source, such as an electrical socket, maydivide the power provided by the source and provide a certain percentageof the power to each vehicle via the respective power conduit 50 andvehicle connector 54 connected to each vehicle. In the simplestimplementation of such an embodiment, the power could be split 50/50,with half of the power provided to each vehicle for charging.

Not all simultaneous charging need be so symmetric. An EVSE 30configured for simultaneous charging may include power managementfeatures that allow the EVSE 30 to increase or decrease the powerprovided to the individual vehicles depending on various factors. Forexample, a situation may exist where a first vehicle is connected to theEVSE 30 before a second vehicle. While the first vehicle is chargingalone, it may be allocated all of the power available for charging, i.e.100% power. Once the second vehicle is connected to the EVSE 30, some ofthe 100% power allocated to the first vehicle may be reallocated to thesecond vehicle, making the power split, for example, 50/50, 70/30,45/55, or any other combination.

The amount of power allocated to each vehicle may vary for multiplereasons. One may be the charge state of the battery in the respectivevehicle. The EVSE 30 may be able to tell the level of charge remainingin the battery of each vehicle. If one vehicle battery has a highercharged level than the other, then the EVSE 30 may determine to providethe vehicle battery with the lower charged level more power. Thisdetermination may be made on the basis that the battery with the lowercharge may require more power to charge it faster, while the batterywith more remaining charge could finish charging in an adequate timewith less power. The reverse of this power distribution may occur in thesame situation depending on the power management settings. The EVSE 30may determine that it may be more efficient, to provide the vehiclebattery with a higher charged level with more power than the otherbattery to more quickly complete the higher charged battery's charging.Then, once the higher charge battery is done charging, or at a certainlevel, the EVSE 30 may allocate more power to the lower charged batteryto complete charging.

During simultaneous charging, the charge levels of the batteries change.The EVSE 30 may have the ability to detect these charge levels andmanage the power provided to each battery throughout the charging. Forexample, when a battery is charging, there may come a point in thecharging cycle where the battery is approaching a full charge. Often atthis point, charging power to the battery is reduced to until thebattery is fully charged. In many instances, the reduction of chargingpower may occur in stages, each stage further reducing the chargingpower. If one battery were to reach this point before another chargingbattery, then the power management system could reallocated the power nolonger needed for one battery to the other.

Further, the EVSE 30 does not have to deliver 100% of the charging powerto any of the batteries, alone or combined, during charging. There maybe times, when none of batteries require enough charging power to equateto 100% of the available charging power. In such instances, the EVSE 30may be able to control the amount of power delivered to the batteriessuch that the delivered power totals less than the available chargingpower, for example, 15/20 or any other combination less than 100%.

Another factor that may affect how the EVSE 30 allocates the chargingpower to the vehicles may have to do with the battery technologyimplemented within the vehicles themselves. The EVSE 30 may be able toidentify the battery technology used in a specific vehicle and determinethat the vehicle charging is best effected using a specific chargingprofile, or the vehicle may be able to instruct the EVSE 30 to use aspecific charging profile based on the battery technology, charge state,weather conditions, availability of accessible charging and/or gasstations within a given driving range, or other factors. Any informationused to identify the battery technology, the vehicle, the battery chargestate, or any other feature of the vehicle and/or battery may bedetected or received by the EVSE 30 via the communication device 36 overthe communication network. The EVSE 30 may connect to the vehiclewirelessly or by wire, for example via OBD II connector or the vehicleconnector 54.

The allocation of electricity, detection of battery level, and the typeof battery system that is in the vehicle and other detection discussedherein can be done automatically when the EVSE is connected to thevehicle. Alternatively, the allocation and detection can bepredetermined and manually set by the user.

As stated above, the allocation of charging power may also be determinedby customizable settings. One such setting, which may be userprogrammable to the EVSE 30 via the input device 32 or the remotedevice, is a vehicle priority setting. The EVSE 30 may be instructedthat one vehicle has priority over another, thus the prioritized vehicleshould complete charging before the other vehicle. For example, one usermay go to work earlier than another user or one user anticipate only alower usage of the vehicle on a particular day but may need morecharging on another day. Other settings may indicate, for example, whenthe next time the vehicle will be used, how far the vehicle will bedriven, the conditions the vehicle will be driven in (hills or no hills,mainly during high traffic times or not, for example), how economicalthe user wishes the EVSE 30 to be when charging the vehicle, a minimumcharge level the user wishes the car to be at, the current or forecastedweather, the availability of accessible charging and/or gas stationswithin a given driving range, or any other factors that may affect howthe EVSE 30 may allocate the charging power to meet the charge levelneeded, indicated by the settings, for the next use of the vehicle.

Sequentially charging multiple vehicles is another option for an EVSE 30charging more than one vehicle. The simplest approach would be toconfigure the EVSE 30 to charge the vehicle it is connected to firstuntil completion and then charge another vehicle thereafter. This couldbe implemented in a semi-manual fashion where the EVSE 30 has one powerconduit 50 and one vehicle connector 54, and the EVSE 30 signals a userwhen one vehicle is charged and the EVSE 30 is available to be connectedto another vehicle for charging. Another option would be to configurethe EVSE 30 with multiple power conduits 50 having respective vehicleconnectors 54. In one embodiment, there can be one power conduit 50having multiple vehicle connectors 54 stemming therefrom.

With multiple vehicle connectors connected to respective vehicles, theEVSE 30 could be configured to automatically sequentially charge thevehicles. One implementation, similar to the sequential chargingdescribed herein, would be when completing the charging of a connectedvehicle, the EVSE 30 could automatically charge another vehicle whenfinished charging the first one.

Sequential charging could be implemented in a number of other ways aswell. Some embodiments of sequential charging would not require that thefirst vehicle charging be fully charged prior to reallocating power fromthe first vehicle to the second vehicle. Some batteries can be quicklycharged with high power at first, thereby charging a certain percentageof the battery's charge potential. Often that portion of the battery'scharge potential that can be quickly charged is a majority of the chargepotential or a predetermined charge level. The remaining chargepotential of the battery may require slower charging at a lower powerlevel, including a trickle level. In instances where the vehicles beingcharged possess these types of batteries, the EVSE 30 may charge asubstantial portion of the battery of the first vehicle until a quickcharge potential threshold has been reached. Once the quick chargethreshold of the first vehicle is reached, the EVSE 30 may discontinuepower to the first vehicle (or charge at a lower level) and reallocatethe power (or most of the power) to the second vehicle. When the EVSE 30determines that the second vehicle has reached a satisfactory chargelevel, the EVSE 30 may discontinue power to the second vehicle andreallocate the power, at an appropriate level, to the first vehicle.This process of switching the allocation of power between the first andsecond vehicle may occur numerous times depending on power managementsettings implemented in the EVSE 30, based on efficiency, speed,economy, weather, availability of charging and/or gas station, or otherfactors.

The switching of power allocation between charging vehicles duringsequential charging may occur for various reasons. One such reason isthe EVSE 30 can be configured to detect the remaining charge levels ofthe connected vehicles. If the first vehicle is already connected andcharging when the second vehicle is connected, the EVSE 30 may be ableto compare the remaining charge level of each vehicle. In one instance,the EVSE 30 may determine that the first vehicle's remaining chargelevel is lower than the second vehicle. Then, depending on powermanagement settings, the EVSE 30 may determine to continue charging thefirst vehicle until it reaches a satisfactory charge level, which mayinclude a completed charge or a partial charge, before reallocating someor all power to the second vehicle. Conversely, the EVSE 30 maydetermine to discontinue charging the first vehicle and reallocate powerto the second vehicle until a satisfactory charge level is reachedbefore continuing to charge the first vehicle. This may be due to theneed of the second vehicle earlier then the need of the first vehicle.The same charging determinations can be made by the EVSE 30 when thesecond vehicle's remaining charge level is lower than the first vehicle.

The satisfactory charge levels mentioned herein may be at any level ofcharging. A vehicle's battery may reach multiple satisfactory chargelevels throughout the sequential charging process causing the EVSE 30 todiscontinue charging one vehicle and allocate the charging power toanother vehicle several times. The satisfactory charge level for eachvehicle battery may depend on a single factor or multiple factors. Somesuch factors may include: battery charge state, battery type, chargingmethod, charging efficiency, charging cost, charging speed, weather,availability of charging and/or gas stations en route, user settings(described herein), or a number of other factors. Similar factors mayalso be used for the EVSE 30 to determine the level of power to providewhen charging a battery.

As described herein the allocation of charging power may also bedetermined by customizable settings. One such setting, which may be userprogrammable to the EVSE 30 via the input device 32 or the remotedevice, is the vehicle priority setting. The EVSE 30 may be instructedthat one vehicle has priority over another, thus the prioritized vehicleshould complete charging before the other vehicle. Other settings mayindicate, for example, when the next time the vehicle will be used, howfar the vehicle will be driven, the conditions the vehicle will bedriven in, how economical the user wishes the EVSE 30 to be whencharging the vehicle, the minimum charge level the user wishes thevehicle to be at, the availability of charging and/or gas stations inthe proximity of a path of travel, or any other factor that may affecthow the EVSE 30 may allocate the charging power to meet the charge levelneeded, indicated by the settings, for the next use of the vehicle.

Many of the EVSE's capabilities described in connection with thesimultaneous charging description are similarly applicable to sequentialcharging. In both embodiments the EVSE 30 may be able to detect orreceive the same information from the vehicles, and make the samedeterminations about the vehicles and power management. However, insteadof adjusting power levels to multiple vehicles at the same time as inthe simultaneous charging, in sequential charging the EVSE 30 adjustspower levels to the charging vehicle and determines when to discontinuecharging the charging vehicle and begin charging the other vehicle.

Another embodiment may include the EVSE 30 in communication with aremote server. The remote server may provide instructions to the EVSE 30or it may just store information, such as in a database, and provide theEVSE 30 with requested information including performing other functionssuch as sending emails, as requested by the EVSE. In the embodimentwhere the remote server provides the EVSE 30 instructions, the EVSE 30may pass information received, extracted, or sensed from the chargingvehicle to the remote server. The remote server may then interpret thatinformation and make the charging determinations described herein, suchas if a vehicle battery has reached a satisfactory charge level, detectthe remaining charge level, and determine when to discontinue chargingand reallocate power. The remote sever may also store and take intoaccount the power management settings and user settings. Afterinterpreting the information, the remote server may then instruct theEVSE 30 to implement the different functions described herein.

In the embodiment where the EVSE 30 is connected to a remote serverstoring a database for providing information requested, the EVSE 30 mayhave the hardware and software to interpret the information and make thedeterminations described herein. An example of this would be when theEVSE 30 is connected to the vehicle for charging and basic informationis available about the vehicle's make and model, or about the type ofbattery employed in the vehicle. The EVSE 30 may query the database onthe remote server for more detailed information about the vehicle'sbattery, such as preferred battery charging methods and battery chargingthresholds. The database may also be queried for power managementsettings and user preferences. The EVSE 30 may then use the informationqueried to make the vehicle charging related determinations.

The remote server may also serve to update software and informationstored on the EVSE 30. In the embodiments where the EVSE 30 contains thecharging determination software and/or the information used by thecharging determination software, such as vehicle information, powermanagement settings, weather, traffic, charging and/or gas stationlocations, and user preferences, the remote server may update thesoftware and information stored on the EVSE 30.

Referring now to FIG. 5, illustrated is a schematic of an apparatus forsequentially charging multiple electric vehicles. The apparatusdepicted, herein the sequential EVSE 70 is much like the EVSE 30described herein with a few modifications. The sequential EVSE 70 mayinclude multiple vehicle connectors 54, connected to the rest of thesequential EVSE 70 by a respective power conduit 50. There may also beanother contactor 42 a between the breaking device 46 and the vehicleconnectors 54 for controlling the power to each vehicle connector 54.Further, the EVSE 70 may include another voltage regulator device (notshown) to a manipulate the voltage levels provided to the vehicleconnector 54.

Referring now to FIG. 6, illustrated is a flow diagram of a method forsequentially (or simultaneously) charging multiple electric vehicles 100according to an embodiment of the invention. First, the EVSE 30 maydetect that multiple vehicles are connected to it via the vehicleconnectors 54 (step 110). Detecting that multiple vehicles are connectedmay be conducted by polling the vehicle connectors 54 to see if they areconnected to a vehicle, or the EVSE 30 may wait to receive a signal oncethe vehicle connectors 54 are connected to the vehicles. The signal maybe automated or as a result of an entry by the user. Once the EVSE 30detects multiple vehicles, the EVSE 30 may detect vehicle/vehiclebattery information (step 112). Optionally the EVSE 30 may query theremote database for information, such as about the vehicle battery,power management settings, and/or user settings (step 150). In anotherembodiment, an option may be for the EVSE 30 to pass information to aremote server to process the information and instruct the EVSE 30 on howto manage the charging of the vehicles (step 160). This may be due tothe user remotely entering charging information on the remote server forthe EVSE to access at a later point in time. The user would access theremote server and enter the desired information for the EVSE to useduring charging.

After step 112, the EVSE 30 may then compare any information detectedfrom the first vehicle/vehicle battery with information from the secondvehicle/vehicle battery, power management settings, and/or user settings(step 114). After making such comparisons, the EVSE 30 may determine,whether to continue any charging in progress, discontinue charging inprogress and begin charging a different vehicle, simultaneously chargethe vehicles, or exit (step 116). If the EVSE continues to charge, thenthe EVSE 30 determines the amount of power to allocate to charging (step118) one vehicle versus the other, i.e. charging only on vehicle at acertain level or charging both vehicles at respective levels. Whilecharging, the EVSE 30 monitors the charge level of the charging vehiclebattery for the charge level (step 120). If the charge level issatisfactory, the process returns back to step 114, otherwise thecharging continues.

Back at step 116, if the EVSE 30 determines to discontinue the chargingin progress and begin charging a different vehicle, then the EVSEdiscontinues power to the charging vehicle (step 122). The EVSE 30 thendetermines the amount of power to allocate to charging the chargingvehicle (step 118). While charging, the EVSE 30 monitors the chargelevel of the charging vehicle battery for the charge level (step 120).If the charge level is satisfactory, the process returns back to step116, otherwise the charging continues.

If, at step 116, the EVSE 30 determines that all connected vehicles havecompleted charging, then the EVSE 30 exits the sequential method forsequentially charging multiple electric vehicles 100 (step 124).

As stated herein, the EVSE may potentially perform a variety of otherfunctions in addition to its primary purpose of charging the electricvehicle. Multiple embodiments may also include any number of functionsthat may be considered secondary purposes of the EVSE. A few examples ofthese functions may include conducting battery tests and reporting thestate of the batteries and the number of times the batteries have beencharged. The EVSE may also conduct vehicle diagnostics, execute a tirepressure management system, run an emissions analysis, etc.

As mentioned herein, one embodiment of the EVSE 30 may be to communicateover a communication network 200 with a remote device 210, as shown inFIG. 7. The communication over communication network 200 can beimplemented by a variety of communication protocols. EVSE 30 may have anintegrated or peripheral communication device 36, through which the EVSE30 may communicate with the remote device 210 over the communicationnetwork 200. The communication device 36 may be able to communicate viaone or more communication protocols. For example, the communicationdevice 36 may be able to connected to and communicate over a WiFinetwork, a radio telecommunications network, such as a GSM and/or CDMAnetwork, a mobile broadband network, such as HSPA, EVDO, LTE, and WiMAX,or ant communication protocol described herein. The communication device36 is not limited to any specific number or combinations ofcommunication protocols.

Referring to FIG. 7, the remote device 210 may include input device 212,a memory 214, a communication device 216, a processor 218, and a display220, some or all of which can be interconnected by a data link 228. Theremote device 210 can be a general computing device, such as a personalcomputer (PC), a UNIX workstation, a server, a mainframe computer, apersonal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, a smart phone, atablet, a slate, some combination of these or any other suitablecomputing device. Alternatively, the remote device 210 can be aspecialized computing device made up of components specifically chosento execute the functionality of the remote device 210. The remainingcomponents can include programming code, such as source code, objectcode or executable code, stored on a computer-readable medium that canbe loaded into the memory 214 and processed by the processor 218 inorder to perform the desired functions of the remote device 210.

The processor 218 may be executed in different ways for differentembodiments of the remote device 210. One embodiment is that theprocessor 218 is a device that can read and process data such as aprogram instruction stored in the memory 214. Such a processor 218 maybe embodied by a programmable microcontroller.

The memory 214 may include, for example, any form or combination ofvolatile, non-volatile, solid state, magnetic, optical, permanent,removable, writable, rewriteable, and read-only memory. The memory 214may contain a number of program instructions for use with the remotedevice 210 as discussed herein. The instructions may include methods,for example, for controlling the functions of the EVSE 30 and retrievingor receiving information from the EVSE 30. The program instructions maybe configured to work with various or individual smart phone and mobiledevice operating systems (or operating system families, includingdifferent versions), such as iOS, Android, Chrome, BlackBerry OS, QNX,Palm OS, webOS, Windows, Windows Phone, Symbian, and the like.

Additionally, an embodiment of the remote device 210 can communicateinformation to a user through the display 220 and request user inputthrough the input device 212 by way of an interactive, menu-driven,visual display-based user interface, or graphical user interface (GUI).The user may interactively input information using direct manipulationof the GUI. Direct manipulation can include the use of a pointingdevice, such as a mouse or a stylus, to select from a variety ofselectable fields, including selectable menus, drop-down menus, tabs,buttons, bullets, checkboxes, text boxes, and the like. Nevertheless,various embodiments of the invention may incorporate any number ofadditional functional user interface schemes in place of this interfacescheme, with or without the use of a mouse or buttons or keys, includingfor example, a trackball, a scroll wheel, a touch screen (via thedisplay 220) or a voice-activated system.

Some options that may be selected through the input device 212 may allowthe user control over the EVSE 30 and the charging of the electricvehicle. The user may select, for example, that the batteries be chargedto or at a certain level or for a certain amount of time, a certainnumber of charges or start and stop at a certain time or at a particularevent. Further, the user may select to be notified on the remote device210 that the electric vehicle or charging is in a certain state, such ascomplete or faulted. The user may be able to control the EVSE 30 fromthe remote device 210 to control and power some of the vehicle'scomponents while plugged in. For example, during different seasons theuser may desire to start and heat or cool the vehicle as he gets readyfor work in the morning so that the vehicle is comfortable when he getsin it. The remote device 210 may also instruct the EVSE 30 to controlsetting the radio, power seats and mirrors depending on userpreferences, or lock or unlock the vehicle. Through the use of theremote device 210 to control the EVSE 30, other devices like a GPS,radar detector, and other devices that require boot or warm up periodsmay be powered on before the user enters the electric vehicle.

Further, the options may include instructing the EVSE 30 to run vehiclediagnostic functions, such as OBD-II, battery testing, tire pressuresensor testing, emissions testing and the like. The remote device 210may also instruct the EVSE 30 to track the status of various batteriesin the vehicles, such as which batteries have been replaced, theremaining battery life of the various batteries, the warrantyinformation about the batteries, the type of batteries used in thevehicle (mix and match) and the like. Many other embodiments may providefor further methods, some of which will be discussed herein.

With each of the various functions of the EVSE 30 that may be controlledby the remote device 210, notifications may be sent from the EVSE 30 tothe remote device for display to the user. Some such notifications maybe prompted by an instruction from the remote device 210, such as anacknowledgement that a function has successfully been executed, oralternatively has failed. For example, if the user of the remote device210 instructs the EVSE 30 via the remote device 210 to start thevehicle, and the vehicle is located somewhere where the user cannot seeor hear it, the use may want confirmation indicating whether the vehiclestarted or not. In other instances, the remote device 210 may benotified of an event by the EVSE 30 without prompting. For example, whenthe vehicle is connected to the EVSE 30 it may begin to charge, and thevehicle operator may move away from the vehicle to an area where he cannot see or here the vehicle or the EVSE 30. The operator then may not beable to tell when the vehicle has finished charging. The vehicleoperator may use the remote device 210 to query the EVSE 30 for thevehicle charging status, or the EVSE 30 may automatically notify theoperator via the remote device 210 when the vehicle has completedcharging. These example are in no way limiting of the types ofnotifications that the remote device 210 may receive from the EVSE 30,and one skilled in the art would understand that multiple notificationsmay exist for every function carried out by the EVSE 30.

Similar to the communication device 36, the remote device 210 may alsocommunicate via one or more communication protocols. To continue theexample, the remote device 210 may be a cellular phone, or a smartphone, capable of communicating over a WiFi network, a radiotelecommunications network, such as a GSM and/or CDMA network, and amobile broadband network, such as HSPA, EVDO, LTE, and WiMAX. The remotedevice 210 is not limited to any specific number or combinations ofcommunication protocols.

Which communication protocol may be used to communicate between the EVSE30 and the remote device 210 may depend a few factors. One factoraffecting the communication protocol selection may be the compatibilityof each of the communication device 36 and the remote device 210 withthe communication protocol. If both the communication device 36 and theremote device 210 are compatible with the same communication protocol,the common protocol may be the selected communication protocol to effectthe communication over the communication network 200. However, it maynot be necessary for the communication device 36 and the remote device210 to support the same communication protocol because a intermediarycommunication device (not shown) may be used to convert data sent inprotocol format to another protocol format to be received.

Another factor in selecting the communication protocol may be theproximity of the of the communication device 36 and the remote device210 to the communication network 200. If the communication network 200is a local network, for example a WiFi network for a home or building,and both the communication device 36 and the remote device 210 canaccess the local communication network 200, then the local communicationnetwork 200 may be used to effect communication between thecommunication device 36 and the remote device 210. The localcommunication network 200 may be chosen above other available networks.Reasons for selecting one available network over another may includefaster communication speed, lower power consumption, reduced risk oflost or corrupted data, greater network security, and other reasons. Forexample, a smart phone may be able to communicate over a WiFi networkand a mobile broadband network, but the WiFi network requires the smartphone to use less power, it may be firewalled and encrypted, and it maycover a smaller area. In such an example, the smart phone or the EVSE 30may recognize that the other is connected to the WiFi network and choseto communicate of the WiFi network instead of the alternatives. Inanother example, a user of a smart phone may decide to manually selectan available communication network 200.

As mentioned herein, the memory 214 may contain a number of programinstructions for use with the remote device 210. Referring now to FIG.8, the memory 214 may contain a number of instruction modules forproviding various functionalities of the remote device 210. Such modulesmay include: a communication protocol selection module 500; an EVSErecognition module 502; an EVSE search module 504; an EVSE connectiondetermination module 506; an EVSE connection module 508; an EVSE manualentry module 510; an option determination module 512; an option displaymodule 514; an option selection module 516; a vehicle recognition module518; an EVSE type recognition module 520; an instruction transmit module522; a confirmation receipt module 524; a confirmation display module526; an alert handling module 528; and an encryption module 530.

The communication protocol selection module 500, the EVSE recognitionmodule 502, the EVSE search module 504, the EVSE connectiondetermination module 506, the EVSE connection module 508, and the EVSEmanual entry module 510 all relate to establishing a connection betweenthe remote device 210 and the EVSE 30. The communication protocolselection module 500 is responsible for determining the communicationprotocol to use to connect to the EVSE 30 and initializing the use ofthe selected communication protocol. The EVSE recognition module 502determines if any known EVSEs 30 are connected to the communicationnetwork 200 the remote device 210 has connected to via the selection andinitialization made by the communication protocol selection module 500.The EVSE search module 504 executes a search for EVSEs 30 connected tothe communication network 200 when no know EVSEs 30 are identified, orif none are desired to connect with. The EVSE connection determinationmodule 506 determines whether any EVSE 30 identified, known orotherwise, is the EVSE 30 with which the remote device 210 is toconnect. The EVSE connection module 508 effects the connection betweenthe EVSE 30 and the remote device 210 based on the determination of theEVSE connection determination module 506. The EVSE manual entry module510 allows a user to manually identify the EVSE 30 for connection whenautomatic connection fails or is not desired.

The option determination module 512, the option display module 514, theoption selection module 516, the vehicle recognition module 518, and theEVSE type recognition module 520 each relate to determining theinstructions to send to the EVSE 30. The option determination module 512is responsible for identifying the options available for use with theEVSE 30 and the connected vehicle. The identification of options may befrom a pool of options generally available for EVSEs 30, or a subset ofoptions available from certain vehicles and/or EVSE types. Indentifyingthe available options may occur once after connection to an EVSE 30 orafter an option selection is made further identification may be requiredto identify available suboptions. The option display module 514 formatsthe display of the options identified by the option determination module512 and presents the options on the display 220. The formatting andpresentation may occur each time the option determination module 512 isexecuted to present varying sets of options. The option selection module516 receives signals representing the selection of an option on theremote device 210 and interprets the selection such that it identifies acommand that results in further executing the option determinationmodule 510 or selecting an instruction for the EVSE 30. The vehiclerecognition module 518 and the EVSE type recognition module 520 identifya type of vehicle connected to the EVSE 30 and the type of EVSE 30connected to the remote device 212, respectively. The identification mayinclude make, model, year, software and hardware identifiers, and thelike.

The instruction transmit module 522 is initiated when the optionselection module 516 interprets the signal received as an instructionfor the EVSE 30, and the instruction transmit module 522 communicatesthe instruction to the EVSE 30 via the communication network 200. If theEVSE 30 receives the instruction and executes the instruction, either tocompletion, or until a fault occurs, the EVSE 30 will return aconfirmation of the action executed by the EVSE 30 and the result of theaction. The confirmation receipt module 524 receives the confirmationfrom the EVSE 30 via the communication network 200. The confirmationdisplay module 526 interprets the confirmation received from the EVSE 30and formats the confirmation to be presented on the display 220.

In some embodiments, after a connection is established between theremote device 210 and the EVSE 30, an alert may originate from the EVSE30 and be received by the remote device 210. Events that may trigger analert may be preset or set by user preference in the remote device 210,or may be programmed into the EVSE 30. Some alerts may be informative ofcommon occurrences, for example, the vehicle has commenced or completedcharging, or the vehicle charge has reached a certain level. Otheralerts may be informative of abnormalities, for example, the EVSE 30 hasfailed, the vehicle batteries are overheating, or the vehicle connectionhas been interrupted. In any of these examples, the EVSE 30 may send analert which is received by the remote device 210. Upon receiving analert the alert handling module 528 may identify the communication fromthe EVSE 30 as an alert and format it for display on the remote device210. If there are options for responding to the alert, the alerthandling module 528 may also display the options to the user of theremote device 210, and depending on the user's selection, instruct theremote device 210 to execute an appropriate response to the EVSE 30.

Communication between the remote device 210 and the EVSE 30 issusceptible to tampering. To address this threat, the encryption module530 may encrypt any outgoing communications and decrypt any encryptedincoming communications. The encryption module 530 may implementsymmetric or asymmetric key algorithms, it may encrypt allcommunications or selectively encrypt communications, and it mayimplement known or proprietary encryption algorithms.

Referring now to FIG. 9 the description of the method for communicatingbetween the EVSE and the remote device 300 will be described from theperspective of the remote device 210, however one skilled in the artwould recognize that individual roles of the EVSE 30 and the remotedevice 210 in the method described could be reversed. To begin, theremote device 210 selects a communication protocol (step 310). Asdescribed herein, the communication protocol may be selected on thebasis of one or numerous factors. The remote device 210 may select acommunications protocol from the communication protocols with which theremote device 210 is compatible. The remote device 210 may also be awareof the communications protocols supported by the EVSE 30 and networks towhich the EVSE 30 is connected. If the remote device 210 supports acommunication protocol shared by the EVSE 30, and can detect a networkto which the EVSE 30 is connected, then the remote device 210 may selectthis communication protocol and network. This may be accomplishedautomatically.

Once the communication network 200 is selected, the remote device 210may determine if there is a known EVSE 30 with which the remote device210 may interact on the communication network 200 (step 320). If a knownEVSE 30 is on the communication network 200, the remote device 210 thenwill decide whether to connect to the known EVSE 30 (step 330).Determining whether to connect to the known EVSE 30 may occur in a fewdifferent ways. For one, the known EVSE 30 may have been set as apreferred EVSE 30 and is set to automatically connect to that EVSE 30.Such a setting may be useful for when a person connects their vehicle tothe same EVSE 30 repeatedly, like at home. Another example may includepresenting the user of the remote device 210 with the option to connectto one EVSE 30 of one or more detected EVSEs 30, such as in the user'soffice parking garage where the user may repeatedly connect to variousEVSEs 30. In this circumstance each EVSE 30 may have an identificationnumber, similar to a parking spot number or a MAC address, so that theuser may know to which EVSE 30 the vehicle is connected. In anotherembodiment, the remote device 210 may be able to automatically identifywhich of a number of EVSEs 30 is connected to the user's vehicle, andautomatically connect to the proper EVSE 30. If the remote device 210determines to connect to a known EVSE 30, then the method continue tostep 370. If the remote device 210 does not find a known EVSE 30 ordetermines not to connect to a known EVSE 30, then the method continuesto step 340.

At step 340, the remote device 210 may search for any EVSE 30 connectedto the communication network 200. The results of such a search mayreturn a prohibitively large number of EVSEs 30. The search may belimited by a number of parameters including, but not limited to,compatibility, proximity, location, and being connected to a vehicle(including any vehicle or a specific vehicle). If an EVSE 30 is found onthe communication network 200, the remote device 210 then will decidewhether to connect to the EVSE 30 (step 350). To determine if toconnect, the user of the remote device may then select an EVSE 30 toconnect to or the remote device 210 may automatically connect to theEVSE 30 as described herein in relation to connecting to a known EVSE30. If the remote device 210, or the user, determines to connect to theEVSE 30, then the method continue to step 370. If the remote device 210does not find an EVSE 30 or determines not to connect to the EVSE 30, orthe user determines not to connect to the EVSE 30, then the method exitsat step 360.

In an alternative embodiment, the remote device 210 may not search forEVSEs 30, and the user of the remote device 210 may manually enter acommand to connect to a specific EVSE 30. For example, the EVSE 30 towhich the user wished to connect may be saved on the remote device andthe user selects the saved EVSE 30 for connecting. Alternatively, theEVSE 30 may have an identifier, such as an alphanumeric string or a MACaddress, that the user may enter manually into the remote device 210. Inyet another embodiment, the user may place the remote device 210 on ornear the EVSE and instruct the remote device 210 to connect to the EVSE30 in close proximity using range dependent technology such as NearField Communication or Bluetooth.

Once the remote device 210 has established a connection with the EVSE 30(step 370), then the remote device 210 may present a user of the remotedevice 210 with various options (step 380) for retrieving informationfrom or controlling the EVSE 30. The options may be presented on thedisplay 220 in many forms, and the user may interact with the option viathe input device 212 as discussed herein. The options presented to theuser may depend on the organization of the options in the GUI. Forexample, the organization may be in the form of a menu with top leveloptions and categories that when selected may display related suboptionsor subcategories. Alternatively, all of the options may be presented ona single screen or multiple screens which the user may scroll or pagethrough. These option organizations may be varied, combined, or modifiedin numerous other ways.

The remote device 210 may then receive an option selection from the user(step 390). Upon receiving the option selection, the remote device 210may send an instruction to the EVSE 30 (step 400). The instruction sentto the EVSE 30 may include a variety of commands. The commands mayinclude instructions to execute an EVSE function, requests forinformation, or both. The instructions to execute an EVSE function mayinclude any of the EVSE functions discussed herein, such as: the EVSEcharging and charging management functions, the EVSE vehicle andcharging monitoring functions, the EVSE vehicle diagnostic functions,the EVSE vehicle control functions, the EVSE safety functions, the EVSEreporting functions, the EVSE maintenance functions, the EVSE utilityfunctions, the EVSE route planning functions, and the EVSE networkconnection functions. The requests for information may include anyinformation that is available to the EVSE 30 including, for example: thestate of the EVSE 30 (e.g. on, off, charging, standby, fault/error,(not) connected to a vehicle, etc.); the state of the electric vehiclecharging (e.g. charging power level, charging progress and time elapsedand remaining, charging profile, charging settings, charging metrics(i.e. efficiency and cost), charging events (i.e. completed, a certaincharging level attained, stopped or interrupted), etc.); the state ofthe electric vehicle (e.g. vehicle diagnostic information, batterycharge level, battery condition, battery temperature during charging,battery life, battery statistics, whether certain vehicle systems andengine are on or off, settings for certain vehicle systems, etc.);information from the electric utility provider (e.g. peak/off-peak timesand costs, current costs, usage and savings comparisons, usagestatistics, bills, etc.), including home utility providers, such assolar panels, wind turbines, fuel cells, etc.; driving conditionsinformation (e.g. weather, traffic, effect on efficiency of driving theelectric vehicle); route planning (e.g. distances, types of roadways,availability of EVSEs 30 on the way to a destination, electric vehicledriving dynamics for the route (i.e. what to expect in terms of batteryusage, ratio of battery usage and other fuel in a hybrid), etc.); EVSEand vehicle manufacturer information and updates (e.g. relevant news,tips, software updates, etc).

Upon receiving a command from the remote device 210 (step 410), the EVSE30 executes the command (step 420). Executing the command from theremote device 210 may require that the EVSE 30 change setting withinitself, interact with the connected electric vehicle, or retrieveinformation from other sources. Often times, executing the commands mayresult in effects that are not detectable by the user of the remotedevice 210, and other times executing the device may require thatinformation be sent to the remote device 210, in either instance theEVSE 30 should send a confirmation of the completed task to the remotedevice 210 (step 430). The confirmation may be a message indicatingwhether a task was completed by the EVSE 30 or if the EVSE 30 failed tocomplete the task. In other instances the confirmation may just be thereturn of information requested by the remote device 210.

The remote device 210 receives the confirmation from the EVSE 30 (step440) and displays an appropriate message to the user (step 450). Themessage displayed to the user may be textual, graphical, audible,tactile, or a combination of any of these features. For example, if theEVSE 30 sends a confirmation that charging is complete, the remotedevice may vibrate and/or make a sound to alert the user of the messagethat is further being displayed on the display 220. The audible portionmay also state the contents of the message, such as by stating “chargecomplete.” A visual portion of the display may include a textual and/orgraphical representation that charging is complete, such as text stating“charging complete,” or an image of a full battery or full fuel gauge.

It has been described that a single EVSE 30 may be connected to multipleelectric vehicles at once. Therefore, the method described herein may beimplemented such that the option to select one or more of multiplevehicles connected to the EVSE 30 may be presented to the user and theselection may be received by the remote device 210 as part of step 380.The vehicles may be identified to the user by vehicle specificinformation, such as any single or combination of make, model, year,VIN, license plate number, etc. Alternatively, a customized tag may beassigned to each vehicle, such as “Dad's car,” “guest,” “Eleanor,” etc.The option selections received by the remote device 210 and the commandstransmitted to the EVSE 30 will be applied for the vehicle(s) selectedby the user.

It has also been conceived that the remote device 210 may connect to,control, and receive/retrieve inform from a variety of EVSEs 30including those from different manufactures. The remote device 210 mayidentify the type of EVSE 30 and from that type, determine whatfunctionality is available to the remote device 210. Further, it hasbeen conceived that the method be executed as part of a preloaded ordownloaded smart phone application, or a smart phone app, designed forrepeatedly connecting to a specific EVSE 30, such that the remote device210 connects to the same EVSE 30 each time the smart phone app isimplemented. In such an embodiment, some of the method steps of methodfor communicating between the EVSE and the remote device 300 may be notneed to be implemented.

In one embodiment of the described method, as illustrated in FIG. 10, atany point after establishing a connection (step 370) between the remotedevice 210 and the EVSE 30, the remote device 210 may receive an alertfrom the EVSE 30 (step 600). Upon receiving an alert the alert handlingmodule 528 may identify the communication from the EVSE 30 as an alert(step 610) and format the alert for display (step 620) on the remotedevice 210. The alert handling module 528 may determine if there areoptions for responding to the alert (step 630). Options for respondingto the alert may be stored on the remote device 210 and matched with thealert by the alert handling module 528, or they may be part of the alerttransmission received from the EVSE 30. Once it is determined that thereare options for responding to the alert (step 630) the alert handlingmodule 528 may also display the options (step 640) to the user of theremote device 210. An option selection may be received (step 650) by thealert handling module 210, and depending on the user's selection,instruct the remote device 210 to execute an appropriate response to theEVSE 30 (step 660). If, on the other hand, there are no associatedoptions for the alert, the alert handling module may display an optionto acknowledge receipt of the alert (step 670), receive theacknowledgment of receipt of the alert (680), and return to the previousfunction prior to receiving the alert (step 690).

In another embodiment, the encryption module 530 may be executed atvarious points in the methods described herein. The encryption module530 may be executed prior to any information being sent from the remotedevice 210 to encrypt the information such that only the intendedreceiving device, such as the EVSE 30, may decrypt the information andread it. The encryption module 530 may also be executed followingreceipt of any message by the remote device 210 from any other device,such as the EVSE 30. Upon receiving a message, the encryption module 530may determine if the received message is encrypted, what sort ofencryption has been applied to the message, and may decrypt the messagefor use by the remote device 210.

The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from thedetailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claimsto cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fallwithin the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, sincenumerous modifications and variations will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to theexact construction and operation illustrated and described, andaccordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resortedto, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for remotely communicating with anelectric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) for charging electric vehiclesvia a communication network, comprising: a processor configured toexecute instruction modules and the processor is configured to causepower to be provided to a vehicle at selectively a first power level andselectively at a second power level; a memory configured to store theinstruction modules; a communication interface configured to transmit acommand to the EVSE and receive a confirmation from the EVSE over thecommunication network; an input device configured to receive an input ora selection; and a display configured to display the selection or theconfirmation, wherein the instruction modules include: an EVSEconnection module configured to connect the communication interface tothe EVSE over the communication network; and an instruction transmitmodule configured to send the command from the communication interfaceto the EVSE over the communication network.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the instruction modules further comprise an EVSE connectiondetermination module configured to determine whether a connection to theEVSE is desired.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructionmodules further comprise an EVSE recognition module configured toautomatically identify a known EVSE connected to the communicationnetwork.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instruction modulesfurther comprise an EVSE search module configured to automaticallyidentify EVSEs connected to the communication network.
 5. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein the instruction modules further comprise an EVSEmanual entry module configured to allow a manual selection or an entryof an EVSE identifier to indicate a desired EVSE for connection.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the instruction modules further comprisean option determination module configured to identify options availablefor controlling the EVSE and requesting information from the EVSE. 7.The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the instruction modules furthercomprise an option selection module configured to interpret the input orselection received by the input device into commands for the EVSE andcommands for the option determination module.
 8. The apparatus of claim6, wherein the instruction modules further comprise a vehiclerecognition module configured to identify the electric vehicle connectedto the EVSE, and wherein the option determination module is furtherconfigured to identify options available for controlling the EVSE andrequesting information from the EVSE based on a vehicle identificationinformation.
 9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the instructionmodules further comprise an EVSE type recognition module configured toidentify a type of the EVSE, and wherein the option determination moduleis further configured to identify options available for controlling theEVSE and requesting of information from the EVSE based on the type ofthe EVSE.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instruction modulesfurther comprise an alert handling module configured to recognize amessage received by the apparatus as an alert, identify options forhandling the alert, display the alert and the options, and instruct theapparatus of a response to the alert based on receiving an optionselection.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instruction modulesfurther comprise an encryption module configured to encrypt an outgoingmessage and decrypt an incoming message.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the first power level is a nominal 120 volts and the secondpower level is a nominal 220 or 240 volts.
 13. The apparatus of claim 3,wherein the first power level is a nominal 120 volts and the secondpower level is a nominal 220 or 240 volts.
 14. The apparatus of claim 4,wherein the first power level is a nominal 120 volts and the secondpower level is a nominal 220 or 240 volts.
 15. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the apparatus is a wireless device.
 16. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the selection includes an amount of time for the EVSE tocharge batteries of electric vehicles.
 17. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the selection includes controlling a component of the electricvehicle to turn on.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the componentheats or cools the electric vehicle.
 19. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the selection includes setting power seats or mirrors of theelectric vehicle.
 20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selectionincludes locking or unlocking of the electric vehicle.